Derry City manager Peter Hutton has said in the Daily Record that he is waiting on a decision from Celtic after seeing highly-rated forward Michael Duffy enjoy a productive trial at Parkhead.

The Scottish champions invited the 20-year-old back to train with them and take part in a friendly encounter against Newcastle United, having previously had him over to work with their first-team squad.

Duffy netted twice in that encounter to catch the eye of the Celtic coaching and scouting staff.

An official offer could now be in the pipeline, with the Northern Ireland U21 international having shown that he can be a useful asset for the present and future.

It has been suggested that a bid of around £300,000 would be enough to secure his services, with Hutton bracing himself for a call from Glasgow.

He said in the Daily Record: “Michael can do no more. He left a good impression on his first visit when he trained with members of the first-team squad and I’ve been informed he did everything asked of him last week.

“He raised a few eyebrows during the match against Newcastle by netting twice in a 3-1 win. But it’s now down to the powers-that-be at Celtic.

“Michael enjoyed the experience of being with them but he’s a level-headed young man who takes nothing for granted. We’ve always had great belief in his ability and I’ve no doubt he will get the move he hopes for sooner rather than later.”

Chris Burton

Chris is a freelance journalist with a passion for all major sports. He has spent much of his career to date focusing on the wonderful world of football, across all levels. He has also had the pleasure of interviewing a diverse mix of sportsmen and women – including Gareth Bale, Frank Lampard, Xabi Alonso, Marcel Desailly, Roy Hodgson, Manu Tuilagi, Jonny Wilkinson, Nicola Adams and Ed Clancy.